Our Story

It is our mission to facilitate our guests’ “a good day,”

and assist you with our utmost hospitality.

A Letter From Our Founder

Staying at a hotel that one wants
to stay at —- this is
where our story begins.

A Good Day · Fukuoka

CHAPTER · ONE

A life of arrivals.

In the past, I have been able to visit many countries across the globe. While many of those were on business trips, there were leisurely excursions as well — a quiet ritual of arriving somewhere new, settling in, and looking out the window. Places along the way: San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Colorado, Texas, Miami, Florida, Barcelona, Milan, Florence, Geneva, Monaco, Toulouse, Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Dalian, Seoul, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and the list goes on.

Wherever I travelled, I always picked my hotels by the number of stars they had been awarded — the more the stars, the better the hospitality, or so I believed.

— Amandari, Bali, 2004

2004

Amandari, Bali.

A WELCOME THAT FELT LIKE HOME

The first time I walked in, they welcomed me home — as if they had known me for years.

Then in 2004, I found a hotel that really stood out to me. It was the Amandari, in Bali. Wherever this hotel might be in the world, their top-notch hospitality made me feel right at home.

Incredible, I must say.

— Hotel Okura, Tokyo, 2006

2006

Hotel Okura, Tokyo.

RECOGNITION, QUIETLY GIVEN

In 2006, I found another fantastic hotel. The Hotel Okura in Tokyo. Supposedly there is an underground passageway connecting it to the US Embassy — a neat bit of trivia, for what it is worth.

No one there knew who I was. But with one glimpse of a computer screen, they recognised me, and welcomed me back. I had not been there in a long while; their welcoming nature made me feel warm inside.

Foodwise, Sushi Kyubei along with high-end bars were housed there, and all in all, it was fantastic.

With one glimpse of a screen, they noticed who I was — and welcomed me back.

but

A quiet paradox.

Hotels that offer special treatment to their clients are indeed nice to stay at. But you pay for what you receive — and most of us cannot afford to stay at such places on a whim.

The inexpensive room at a luxurious hotel

Tiny, often. Forcing its guests to refresh themselves in lobbies or cafés. Possible, yes — but lacking in privacy.

The cheaper end

Hotels at the lower end of the scale offer services on par with what you pay for — obviously.

And the whole point, lost

Taken away is the whole experience of staying at a hotel — to relax, away from your daily pressures.

CHAPTER · TWO

From the ground up.

The Decision

I cannot remember exactly when the thinking began. But after experiencing all of the above, I came to a conclusion — I wanted to build, from the ground up, my own hotel brand. One that I would enjoy staying at.

When I first started pondering what factors would matter most, the list looked familiar: extravagant facilities, world-class hospitality, superb service, generous amenities, and so on.

And then it dawned on me…

That really isn’t what most of us are seeking in a hotel. Perhaps something less expensive. There isn’t a demand for luxurious French or Japanese cuisine — but there is demand for places that serve good food, for cheap. The service may not be the world-class service of a five-star restaurant, yet it leaves its guests sated and happy.